Airplane strut



Feb; 27, 1923. 1,446,761

M. W'. MIX

' AIRPLANE STRUT File d Apr. 19, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 27, 1923.

' M. W. MIX

AIRPLANE STRUT 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Apr. 19, 1920 m y a Y I F M w a a. \I|\\|\|\b K [1 3 n l 0 10 M o o o a Y I H..-

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Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

time-i JMELVILLE w. MIX, or iviIsHAwnKA, inninnaf Alarmin STRUT.

Application filegl April 19, 19 2 0 fsejriai 374,994.

Be it known that I; MELVILLE .W. MIX, a

citizen of the U iited States, residing at' Mishawaka, in the. county f St Joseph and I and yet exceedingly strong that provides a laminated body of, streamline cross-section; that provides a lengthwise holding strip for the'fiush attachment "of the two edges of the ply-wood body which in cross section completes the stream-line contour of the body; that provides a separate longitudinal reinforcement throughout the length" of the strut that provides transverse reinforcements at differentpoints ofthe strut, and that provides end attachments of streamline shape with an off-set flange adapted'to pass inside ofthe strut ends and yet leave no projecting edges on the'outside so that the rim of the attachment and the outer surface of the body areflush witheach other.

The subject matter, herein described-is a continuation in part ofa companion 'appli' cation Ser. No..196,918 filed Oct, 16,1917. With these and other ends in view I illustrat in the accompanying drawing such broad underlying features without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Fig. l is a plan in cross section with an inner reinforcement.

Fig. 2 18 also a plan in cross section showing a tubular inner reinforcement.

*ig. 3 is a similar view to Figsl and 2'show1'nga formed inner reinforcement.

Fig. 4 is a' SIClQ'BlGVSLlJIOl'l Of completed airplane strut.

Fig. 5is an enlarged sideelevatioi'rjin section of an end attachmentpon a' forward aft plane.

Fi' ure 61s a Jlaii top view of- Fig. 0.

tachment teaser-Seer I ig. 8 isa detached perspective of a transversere nforcementzp 1 s f I In carrying out my invention I'may use 'aiiyidesired combination of ply-wood lay-- the following is-a specifica er a amt,

Fig. 7 is a sectional-view .of an end at-- ers, or anytcombination of inneror outer metalor other sheaths but no claim on these specific features is made 3 in this applica tion. However the use ofany and all kinds of enpedients for accomplishing the pur poses of invention will"constitute lan I embodiment of thebroad spirit of this dis-- closure; I

' A laminatedplvwood body 1 is formed with .a stream-line cross section. The two freeedges closely approach eachother where they are held in r'alobets of th'e lengthwise.

supporting strip 2. This strip inits ext'ernal contour completes the stream-line shape of the body, besides-{forming no flexterior projection of, any kind wh'ate'ver. The rab bets ar 'just asdeep as thebody isthick; so that theexternal surface of the body and the strip2 are; flush -"w;i'th' respect to each other. v r

y An important feature of my invention lies in-the placing of. a continuous flengthwise reinforcement inslde of the larger edge of the strut, as "for instance; the U shaped mem from end to end of the strutan'd they may member? These reinforcements extend be glued tothe body siinilarly tothe strip '1 2 and additionally attached: by screws, brads, ;or otherwise. 'Themember 3 is hollowed out to reduce weight andthe member 4; maybe formed "of a ply-wood sheetbent-up, unto a I short fi'ange5 anda' long one 6 whose edges engage adjacent surfaces of the member and I the body respectively so asjto prov de r gidity in a transverse direction. I

:The reinforcements 3,4, 7for'their equivalents may be made asf'sep arate units and the body with strip 2 "also-formed as a sepa rate unit; This admitsof assembling 'f'differe'nt kinds of reinforcements, the varying; I exigencies of- 'practice may require, "withinthe strut "body 1. This possibility makes this inventioii'of great practical value as the parts can'fbe carried instock, ready to be assembled in whatever relation one may de-f sire. This facility and convenience as well as economy cannot 'be 'calrried out by the dei velop'ifnents in the prior art.

Atdifierent peintsbf the length Ora strut transverse reinforcements" Sma'y be used, as'

is deemed desirable. These may be gluedor nailed as is found most" expedient. To simplify their assembly they may be first attached "to the'reinforceinents 3," 4: or '7 before the same are placed in the body. In thick- I ness the parts 8 maybe made to suit the kind of service. in which the strutis tobe en'iployed. i Y

rinother important feature is found in the end attachment-s 9 not presenting any projecting edges. These parts are provided with a shoulder 10 which is as deep as the body 1 is thick, and internal flanges, ll that, pass into the inside of the strut Without interferingwiththe reinforcements 3, e the stripQ. Screws 12 may be usedsto attach theparts Elliott/11E, body 1 as shown, or any other type of fasteningmay be. used as de: sired. i

The attachments 9 may have any desired arrangement. of: ears 13. proyide' dwith holes for securing guy wires, or holding spar plates, etc. The description has been more especially directed to ainplanestruts, I do not limitinyself to-thisspecific adaptation.

It will beapparent fromthe foregoing description that the invention meets a practical need; thatit is consistent throughout to stream. line characteristics that it lends;

lf QE s at ro my m nufac u the utmost simplicity in assembling, and finally that it is awery eflicient strut memberforlair-plane or other structures, whenever great strength with reduction of weight is required.

What I claim is,

l-.. A. composite structural; member, com.- prising. a composite unit ofstream-line crossseotion forming an enclosing shell,. a. longi tudina l reinforcement to 3 which the edges i of the. shelL are secured-the external surfaces of which; conform to thestream -line contours of the shell, said reinforcement haying an internal groove lengthwise thereof, separate ns selected cross section: secured to. the shelLindependently of; the first reinforcement and transverse spreader plates whose outlines conform-to the interior contours of the shell and the reinforcements.

A composite structural member, com' prising a stream-line formed; body portion consisting-of a pluralltyof lam nae const tut-ing a single piece .unit, sep arate longitudimentlthe strengthof the. former, metallic end portions .ha vi1 1g internal flanges extending, from abutting. shoulders that are 'ap-' n oximately flUSll Wltlljl the exter or of the,

said units, and meansfor securing the same I to the latter. a

A; composite structural; member, co n;

prising a laminated body of stream-line cross section, a plurality of longitudinal means to which the body 1s separately attached, and;

fastening terminals comprisinginternal and; end: j abutting surfaces: secured to;- the said,

member, said abutting Surface 1 hem approximately flush with. the; ez'teiion ofithgl b0dy;.. f

thwise internal reinforcing means of,

us]; reinforcing means adapted, to 'supple thereof sa d members having abuttingshoulders or 'fiangesthat are approximately flush with the outside surfacev ofthe body.

composite structural unit, comprising a laminated tream-line body portion, a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing means extendingsubstantially throughout its length, and secured to the body independently of each other, spreader-plates withinthe body portion between its ends to supplement the reinforcements, and attaching members secured to. the ends of the unit onthe interior thereof. I U p 7.111 structural units, a single: composite shelL, longitudinal reinforcing means to which the edges-0f the sides of the shell are,

attached. the sameconstituting. a unit, separate lam nar lengthw se reinforcing means constituting. a separate unit, and means for securing the same within the shell inclependently of the. other reinforcement.

8. In stiaictural units, asingle compo-site shell, a. longitudinal reinforcement to which the edges of the shell are attached, other 1 longitudinal reinforcing means independently secured to the inside. of the shell, and metallic end terminals extending inside of theshell and, having ashoulder. to protect the extreme end edges of the shell, said shoulder terminating approximately flush with; the exterior of the shell.

S). Ancndmembe-rfor, airplane stru ts, com-- prising a' body poltionv adapted to cover the open end of a stream line strut,said body having. an exterior border approximately coincident with. the. exterior of the strut to which it is attached, a projecting -fla nge of smaller. dimension also of stream line contouradapted to passinto the interior of the strut, and fastening means formed on the outer end of the member. p

10. An internalv reinforcing. unit for stream-line airplane struts comprising a bined shape of the interior surfaces of the strut and its longitudinal reinforcements. 11. In transverse reinforcements for composite airplane struts a member Whose outline conforms to the interior of the struts, and projections to said reinforcements, perpendicular to the plane thereof.

12. In airplane struts, a stream-line laminar body portion, metallic end members therefor of stream line shape having an 10 abuttingshoulder thereon the Width of said shoulder being approximately the same as the thickness of the body of the strut.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MELVILLE 

